General Question

Why do cats have barbed penises?

Until today, I had no idea that this was even the case. I saw a National Geographic clip that explained and showed this, but now I want to know why this is. What kind of evolutionary purpose could having a barbed penis serve?

It makes it very difficult for the female to pull away, thus making it more likely that particular male will father the kits or pups. This is why when you see dogs going at it and try to chase them away, they often can’t separate. You have to wait until the dog’s erection deflates. Also, this is probably why we hear cats yowling when they copulate. It hurts!

Well I guess the youtube link described it…But lets just be clear on one thing. Dog’s don’t have barbed penis’s, the only thing is that they have knots which makes it so that the female can’t escape when mating….(If I said that right..) But they do have to wait a while to let go since the knot has to reduce in swelling. (sorry I gave more info on the dogs penis rather than the cats but I know more of the canine penis rather than feline.)

I believe it’s supposed to induce ovulation in the female cat, the actual release of the egg. The barbed penis literally shocks and triggers the physiological response for the female cat to ovulate, thus permitting fertilization. Or maybe cats are just a little kinky and love S and M? ;)

They are seasonal breeders for the most part, with March-September being the peak season. They come into heat every 2–3 weeks and keep coming into heat until they get pregnant (or spayed!) They are pregnant for just over 2 months. They will start coming back into heat a week or two after having the kittens, so, theoretically, they can have three litters a year.